The state of Africa after colonialism

This year, Twenty-seven African countries celebrated 50 years of independence. Earlier this year, Mexico celebrated 200 years of independence from Spain. Despite Mexico’s war with drug lords and it’s increasing problems of poverty they still set aside a day to celebrate their independence with every citizen shouting “viva Mexico”. The question is what is the purpose of celebrating 50 years of independence in africa, and what should we celebrate anyway? Corruption is rampant, infrastructure is poor, and there was very little social transformation in terms of health and education. The average poor person in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to live on only 70 cents per day, and was poorer in 2003 than he or she was in 1973 indicating increasing poverty in some areas. Have living condition in these countries really improved over the years? Would we have been better off with our colonial masters still in control? A quick glance at the different statistics from both World Bank and United Nations' Human Development Report will provide a clue to these questions. But first let’s look at independence movements in Africa.
The late nineteenth century, saw many of the African countries being colonized by the European imperial powers, creating many colonial territories, and leaving only two fully independent states, Ethiopia (known to Europeans as "Abyssinia") and Liberia. Egypt and Sudan were never formally incorporated into any European colonial empire; however, after the British occupation of 1882, Egypt was effectively under British administration until 1922. Imperial rule by Europeans would continue until after the conclusion of World War II, when almost all remaining colonial territories gradually obtained formal independence.
Independence movements in Africa gained momentum following World War II, which left the major European powers weakened. In 1951, Libya former Italian colony, gained independence. In 1956, Tunisia and Morocco won their independence from France. Ghana followed suit the next year, becoming the first of the sub-Saharan colonies to be freed. Cameroon, Togo, Madagascar, Democratic republic of Congo, Somalia, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, and Mauritania all gained their independence in 1960.Most of the rest of the continent became independent over the next decade, most often through relatively peaceful means, though in some countries, notably Algeria, it came only after a violent struggle. Zimbabwe won its independence from the United Kingdom in 1980 after a bitter guerrilla war between black nationalists and the white minority Rhodesian government of Ian Smith. Although South Africa was one of the first African countries to gain independence, the state remained under the control of the country's white minority through a system of racial segregation known as apartheid until 1994.

Posted in: Africa